Toy piano and method of operating same



April 24, 1928. 1,667,078

G. M. PATTEN TOY PIANO AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME Filed i 19, 1926 2 NVENTOR. Zaften/ a 620:6]! BY April 24,- 1928.

7 (L M. PATTEN TOY PIANO AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME Filed April 19. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. @Zaye jz azzm KM 5 AT ORNEY.

Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

GEORGE M. PATTEN, OF DETROIT, MTGHIGAN.

TOY PIANO Alt TD METHOD OF OPERATING SAME.

Application filed April 19, 1926. Serial No. 102,955.

This invention relates to mechanical musical instruments. It has to do particularly with toy pianos wherein the musical instruments are designed to be actuated by the manipulation of the keys.

Heretofo're in the manufacture of toy pianos designed to simulate standard pianos many different arrangements have been utilized to cause the operation of the music box mechanism, or other mechanism designed to automatically produce the music. The majority of these toy pianos have necessitated a winding action to produce a tune or musical notes or they have required that the performer be skilled in the art.

The present invention has to do with the provision of a toy mechanical musical in strument having a keyboard, the keys of which are designed to directly operate the instruments for producing the music, whereby regardless of theskill of the o erator the operation of any of the keys wi l be eifective to produce a tune or musical notes.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a, toy piano having a plurality of mechanical instruments for producing separate tunes or musical notes, and novel means for dire tly effecting actuation of said instruments by the actuation of the keys of the keyboard. The present invention also relates to a certain novel arrangement of parts for controlling the operation of the musical instruments, and a method of operating the same, whereby bnly one instru' ment or tune can be played at one time reg gardless of the desire or manipulation of the piano by the operator.

-In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of a toy piano with the back removed, embodying the several features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross section on the line 2=-2 of Fig. 1, showing the manner of arranging the music box units at the ends of the operating member, and also showing the foot pedals for controlling the actua tion of the music boxes.

Fig. 3 isa vertical fragmentary section on the line 3'"3 of Fig. 2, illustrating the method of actuating the roller for operating themusic boxes.

Fig. t is a detail fragmentary perspective view showing the connections between the foot pedals and the clutch operating levers for the music boxes. v V

Fig. 5 is a detail enlarged fragmentary plan view showing the shiftable pinion clutch member for actuating either one of a pair of music boxes.

The case for the piano may be designated 1, and may be suitably formed to simulate an upright or other type of piano case. Suitable partitions 2 extend transversely of the length of the piano and are designed to support the main elements of the mechanism for operating and producing the times ornotes. The upper end of each partition 2 is provided with a suitable bearing 3 for receiving andsupporting a serrated roller member 4. This roller member is provided with a series 'of serrations extending around its circumference and such member is designed to be rotated by the intermittent contacting of the serrations by suitable counterbalanced pawls 5, carried on the inner ends of pivoted keys 6.

Each key 6 is pivoted as at 7, and is slotted at its inner end as at 8. This slotted inner end extends to a point adjacent the periphery of the roller 4, but does not contact therewith in its movement about the pivot 7. A pin 9 is passed through the slotted portion of the key and designed to support and position one end of a strip of felt 10, which is looped around said pin and fastened at its other end on top of the key. This felt acts as a noiseless buffer for the pawl 5, and also holds the pawl in position when it contacts with and moves the rotary member 4. A felt buffer 11 is suitably supported beneath the forward end of the key 6 and is designed to support the forward end of the keys, and also to strike the particular pawl 5 when it is returned to normal position, as will be presently described.

This pawl 5 is of peculiar forn'iation and material, it is of inverted T shape, and is pivoted at a point 12 to the slotted portion of the key, this point 12 being approximately central of the inverted bar portion ofthe T. The forward or projecting part of the pawl 5 may be designated 13, and such point eX- tends a distance forwardly of the pivot 12. and when the pawl and key are in normal position, such pawl may be rotated about the pivot 12 without the point 13 contacting with the serrations on the roller. The shank or npwardlyextending portion of the pawl is substantially rectangular in shape and of greater size than the bar of the pawl. The other point of the pawl extends opposite the point 13, and may be designated 14. This about the pivot 7 will cause the point 13 of the pawl to contact with one of the serrations .on the roller 4. Continued movement of the key'will caus'c rotation. of the roller 4 due to the contact of the point 14 of the pawl with the felt covered pin 9. The pawl 5 is preferably made of rubber, and the pressure caused by the contact of the points 13 and 14 with the roller 4 and pin 9 respectively. will slightly deflect such points 13 and 14. lVhen the key 6 reaches its uppermost position, the point 13 will clear the particular serration on the roller 4, and due to the upwardly extendingcounterbalancing portion of the pawl and placing of the points 13 and 14 under tension, the pawl will immediately be deflected to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3, partly due to the counterbalancing of the pawl and partly due to the placing of the points 13 and 14 under tension. Upon return of the key to normal position, the point 14 will strike the felt buffer and rotate the pawl to normal position.

The shaft for supporting the roller 4 ex tends beyond the bearings 3, and is provided at each end with a single gear 15. A suitable music box may be mounted on the partitions 2. one at each end of the roller as at 16 and at 17. Another pair of music boxes 18 and 18 arepreferably mounted opposite such music boxes 16 and 17, in the walls of the piano case. These 'music boxes are preferably of standard form, and as shown in Fig. 5 are provided with a suitroll, said worm wheel being actuated by a suitable worm 20. 'Each pair of music boxes is operatedby a single divided shaft 21, suitably supported at each end by the, oppositely positioned music boxes. By this arrangement one of the music boxes is operated by a right-hand drive and the other by a.

left-hand drive, and as shown in Fig. 2, the music boxes are so positioned on each end of the single shaft 21 that the rotation of the shaft in one direction will be effected to properly operate either music box. This shaft '21 is provided with suitable pins 22 designed to be engaged by clutches 23 of a sliding pinion member 24. This pinion 24 is elongated and is designed to be operated by movement of the main gears 15 at each end of the roller 4. It will be obvious that by shifting the pinion 24 in one direction or the other, one of the pins 22 will be engaged whereby either one of the music boxes may signed to be shifted by means of a flexible member 25 to insure proper locking of the clutches. I j

The flexible shifting members 25 are carried at the upper ends of pivoted levers 26 and 27, such-levers being pivoted. as at 28 and 29 to suitable blocks positioned between the piano case and the partitions 2. The lower end of the lever 26 is pivotally connected as at3O to a cross lever 31 and this lever 31 is directly connected to'the foot pedal member 3 2. vThe lower end of the other pivoted member 27 is pivotally connected at its lower end as at 33 to a cross lever 34, which cross lever is directly connected to one end ofthe foot pedal 35. These foot pedal levers 32 and 35 are pivoted to the bottom part of the piano case and extend through the bottom front board .of the piano, as shown indotted linesin secured to the left-hand end of the levers 31 and 34 (looking at the rear of the piano- Fig. 1).' The purposeof these pins and this connecting lug is to insure the disengagementof one of the clutches 23 from one of the pins 22, when one of the otherclutches when one of the other three clutches is moved to engaging position. For instance, able worm wheel 19 for operating the music if the clutch for operating the music box A (as illustrated in Fig. 1) is in engaging position, then to move the clutch to engage the music box B, it is necessary only to move the foot pedal'32 in the opposite direction; but to engage the clutch with themusic box 0, amovement of the foot pedal 35 to move such clutch to engagethe music box C will at the same time through the action ofthe lug 36 move the lever 26 intoneutral position; then again to move the clutch to .engage the music box D when the music box A is operating, it is necessary only to move the lever 34 in a proper direction and when when it is desired to change from the music box D to the music box B, the proper movement of the foot pedal 32 will cause the pin to engage the lug 39, which in turn will engage the pin 41 to move the lever 27 to neutral position. It will thus be seen that these two lugs 36 and 39, together with the cords 42 and 43 will be effective in the many diiferent combinations to positively disengage the particular operating clutch when it is desired to move one of the other clutches to operating position.

It will be understood that any particular type of piano case and keyboard mechanism may be utilized. It will furthermore be understood that any type of music box mechanism may be utilized in connection with the shiftable clutches and operating pinions. It will also be understood that the counter balanced offset pawl 5 may be made of differentmaterials, but in the preferred embodiment of this invention this pawl is made of rubber, which, due to its relatively high specific gravity provides an excellent counterbalancing unit which at the same time is practically noiseless and which, due to its inherent resiliency assists in the counterbalancing rotating action of the pawl at the completion of its up-stroke.

What I claim is:

1. A toy piano, comprising in combination, a keyboard, means for transmitting the oscillatory motion of the keys into a rotary motion, a pair of music boxes adapted to be actuated by said rotary movement, a single pinion and gear for actuating both of said music boxes, and means for effecting actuation of either of said music boxes by said single pinion.

2. A toy piano, having in combination a single rotary member, a pair of music boxes positioned adjacent each other and designed to be actuated by said rotary memher, the said music boxes having a right and left hand drive respectively, and a single pinion for effecting actuation of either of said music boxes upon rotation of said first named member.

3. A toy piano, comprising in combination a rotary member designed to be actuated by movement of the keys, a pair of music boxes positioned adjacent each other, a shaft for effecting actuation of said music boxes, a pinion actuated by said rotary member for effecting the operation of said shaft, and a rod operable by movement of a foot pedal for controlling the actuation of said music boxes.

4. A toy piano, comprising in combination a rotary member operable by movement of the keys, a plurality of music boxes de signed to be actuated by said rotary member, a foot pedal, means operable by movement of said foot pedal for controlling the actuation of said music boxes, and a flexible iember for effecting shifting of said actuating lever to operate the particular music box desired.

5. A toy piano, comprising in combination a music box, a rotary member actuated by movement of the keys, a shift-able means for adjustably connecting said rotary motion to said music box, and flexible means for re siliently moving said shiftable means in and out of engagement with said music box.

6. A toy piano, comprising a series of keys, a rotary member actuated by movement of said keys, a plurality of music boxes, foot pedals, levers for connecting said foot pedals with the music box actuating means, and connecting means between said levers where-by only one music box can be actuated at a time.

7. A toy piano, comprising in combination mechanically actuated music mechanisms, rotary means for actuating said mechanisms, pivoted keys and pivoted rubber pawls on the ends of said keys, adapted to contact with and actuate said roller upon operation of said keys, said pawls being under tension during operative contact with the roller.

8. A toy piano, comprising in combination, music mechanism and a roller for actuating same, pivoted keys and resilient means for transmitting the oscillating motion of the keys into rotation of said rotary member whereby said means is placed under tension in its operation.

9. A toy piano, comprising in combination a rotary member actuated by the piano keys, a plurality of music boxes, relatively movable levers for controlling the actuation of any one of the said music boxes, and means connecting said levers whereby the movement of one lever to actuate a music box will disengage the actuating mechanism for the other music boxes.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature.

GEORGE M. PATTEN. 

